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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — goods
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. degree — from a university
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — shares
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — a country
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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