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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 120 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: chair · nail · rule · content · bowl · rock · pitcher · vault

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chair — a leader
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. content — happy
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rule — a law

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