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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: content · date · rush · board · fall · vault · squash · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — hurry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fall — the season
  22. content — happy
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — a thrill

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