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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — magic
  7. last — final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a signal
  16. last — finally
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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