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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: stem · dip · vault · charge · stick · tube · land · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — a country
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — a safe

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