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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — of water
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stock — goods
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — child
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — shares
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spring — the season

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