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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. court — of a king
  5. race — a contest
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — in a race
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. race — the arms race
  16. court — of law
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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