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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. roll — a list
  10. stock — shares
  11. roll — a cake
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. racket — a loud noise

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