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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: bat · stock · staff · rock · vault · content · tube · suit

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — shares
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — happy
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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