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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — of water
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — of a river
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — a group
  12. stock — shares
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. content — happy
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — happening now
  24. club — for golf

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