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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pass — to spend time

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