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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 120 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: stock · chair · pitcher · dip · drill · rock · vault · content

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — army training
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rock — music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — the amount
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — to move gently

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