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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · charge · content · race · chair · vault · season · ball

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ball — a dance
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — in sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. race — a contest
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — the amount
  14. race — humankind
  15. content — happy
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — a leader
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — goods
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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