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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spring — the season
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — of water
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. charge — a price
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy

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