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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 116 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
468
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: branch · pit · land · vault · content · craft · hand · spring

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — a hole
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — ground
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. hand — help
  15. land — a country
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — to come down
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — the season
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — in cards

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