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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — of the year
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — a coil
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — for money

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