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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: content · game · ball · vault · bay · shower · swing · temple

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — to wash
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. game — wild animals
  11. swing — to play on
  12. shower — rain
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. vault — a safe
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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