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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stock — goods
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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