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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — goods
  8. key — the most important part
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — a safe
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — electricity
  22. key — in music
  23. charge — in control
  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