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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: bowl · jam · stick · fork · field · content · vault · wave

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. content — happy
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. content — the amount
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. field — farmland
  20. vault — a safe
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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