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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 120 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: fall · content · ball · coach · saw · branch · net · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. content — the amount
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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