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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · vault · rock · season · chip · bat · track · mug

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a cup
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — a song
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. season — of the year
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — a path
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chip — in a computer

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