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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ground — a position
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mug — to rob
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. mug — a cup
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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