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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 met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. march — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — a safe
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stock — a soup base

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