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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — decided
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — steady
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — goods
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — a hat

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