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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: band · content · fork · land · vault · bank · toast · perch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — of a river
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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