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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 · vault · land · tube · shower · mouse · scale · mate

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — in music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. shower — to wash
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. land — to come down
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — the animal

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