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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: content · fine · present · vault · branch · leaves · stock · ball

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — there
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stock — shares
  19. content — happy
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — a safe
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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