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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cell — a phone

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