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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: jam · bowl · content · wake · wave · cold · vault · ball

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ball — a dance
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. content — happy
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. content — the amount
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. vault — a safe
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cold — not warm

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