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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — happy
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. object — an aim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — shares
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — the amount
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. 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