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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · suit · fan · date · vault · ball · coach · clip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. clip — for paper
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. clip — a video
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a great time
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — to cut
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — happy
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — a supporter

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