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

Word bank: chip · content · vault · swing · mouse · band · cell · rest

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — happy
  16. swing — in golf
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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