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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. charge — in control
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — letters
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. charge — a price
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fine — high quality
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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