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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: toast · court · pit · bank · content · vault · tube · staff

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — a safe
  7. court — of law
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — the amount
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — bread
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — in a race
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — a stick

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