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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — goods
  5. capital — money
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — shares
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — electricity
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. row — a line
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mouse — the animal

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