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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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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: cell · content · vault · bowl · stand · fall · deal · race

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — the amount
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — a contest
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — humankind
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stand — for spectators

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