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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: suit · bowl · tube · date · content · bank · face · vault

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. face — to point toward
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. content — happy
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. content — the amount
  21. date — the fruit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tube — in a tire

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