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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — a list

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