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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: pop · spring · vault · board · stand · bowl · branch · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — a division
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spring — of water
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — on your feet

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