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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 120 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: rash · rush · vault · bowl · bound · perch · content · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. march — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. perch — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. vault — a safe
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

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