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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — goods
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — low music
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a great time
  8. toast — bread
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cap — a lid
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — shares
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a dance
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — a match

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