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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. firm — decided
  6. hand — in cards
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — happy
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — the amount
  17. firm — steady
  18. sharp — clever
  19. firm — a company
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. row — a line

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