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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.

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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — shares
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stock — goods

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