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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — a safe
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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