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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: content · bound · vault · key · bowl · capital · stock · shower

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — money
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. shower — rain
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — certain
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — to wash
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. content — happy
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — for a lock

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