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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: bank · bass · wound · vault · content · pitch · arm · rush

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. vault — a safe
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. content — happy
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — the amount

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