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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: fall · vault · dip · can · content · foot · perch · rock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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 — videos and posts
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — a measure
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. can — a tin
  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