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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: bark · vault · scale · chair · cell · fan · bank · content

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — a leader
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cell — in biology
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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