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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. land — to come down
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a ring
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — a country
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pop — to visit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — music

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