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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — help
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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