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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.

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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: vault · dip · stock · band · fine · tear · stick · content

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a music group
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stock — goods
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. band — a ring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. content — happy
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tear — from crying

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