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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stock — shares
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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