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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. stock — shares
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pop — soda
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  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