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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. land — a country
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — ground
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — to handle
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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