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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
468
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 · bark · game · wake · vault · staff · cabinet · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. vault — a safe
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — the amount
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — of a tree

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