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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: sharp · vault · craft · bank · coach · shower · club · content

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. vault — a safe
  3. shower — to wash
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — boats
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — a skill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. coach — a trainer

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