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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 116 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: court · shower · content · vault · mouse · face · bowl · charge

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. face — to point toward
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. charge — in control
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — part of the head

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