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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.

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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: fine · hand · bat · root · vault · fan · content · stock

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stock — shares
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stock — goods
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — happy
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — all right

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