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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stock — goods
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — a safe
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — shares

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