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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. squash — to crush
  13. band — a music group
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hide — animal skin

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