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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a match
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spell — a short time
  18. drill — army training
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — exactly

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