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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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