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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tube — the underground
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — on your feet

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