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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. snap — to click
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — to protest
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. object — an aim
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — a safe
  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