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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 116 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: bore · bank · bowl · shower · vault · rock · court · content

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bore — to tire
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — of a king
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. content — the amount
  23. court — of law
  24. bowl — a dish

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