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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — for sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. field — farmland
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — a subject
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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