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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: content · wax · stock · swing · current · pitch · nail · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. current — electric
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — goods
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. swing — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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