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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — for betting
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. clip — for paper

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