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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — government
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stock — goods
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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