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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — a song
  10. pop — music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — crushed

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