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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — a phone
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — a safe
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — size or range
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — a tin
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. perch — for a bird

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