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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — of a king
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — of law
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cue — a signal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — a position
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — the amount

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