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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — the amount
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. content — happy
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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