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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: chip · vault · bark · content · march · fine · jam · stem

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. content — the amount
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — happy
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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