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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — goods
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — low music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. game — a match
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a kind of play

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