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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — in golf

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