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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — goods
  8. shower — rain
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pop — soda

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