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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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