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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: bass · rest · bore · can · content · vault · pitcher · wind

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — a break
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — a safe
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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