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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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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: toast · bowl · rock · vault · pound · content · net · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. row — a line
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. toast — bread
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — a weight
  6. row — to paddle
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. net — after costs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — a safe
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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