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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: game · vault · saw · arm · content · net · board · date

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — happy
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — a committee
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — the amount
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — the tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — a flat piece

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