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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — goods
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — after costs
  17. press — to push
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. rest — a break
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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