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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: temple · staff · pop · club · swing · vault · stem · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — to visit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — a group
  7. content — the amount
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — to come from
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. club — for golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — soda
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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