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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. mate — to breed
  23. tear — from crying
  24. vault — a safe

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