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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — of water
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bulb — for light

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