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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: chip · content · bass · bank · tear · vault · trunk · prune

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — the amount
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — to eat

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