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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — an aim
  4. march — the month
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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