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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. season — in sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — clever
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — of the year
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — goods

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