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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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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: club · roll · can · bore · chip · mate · content · vault

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — a friend
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. content — happy
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. roll — a list
  18. club — a group
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. roll — a cake
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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