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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: fan · content · fine · vault · hide · bowl · fork · pop

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — in a road
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — the amount
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  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