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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: shower · deal · rest · roll · fine · board · vault · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a committee
  5. shower — rain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — a safe
  10. roll — a list
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fine — all right
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. content — happy
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — to get on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — high quality

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