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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. row — a line
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — a group
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — for golf
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — the amount
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com