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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.

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: pop · content · chair · wave · game · vault · land · jam

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. content — the amount
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — happy
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. land — to come down
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. vault — a safe
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. land — ground

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