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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — an aim
  7. pop — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — shares
  14. present — there
  15. net — after costs
  16. present — a gift
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pop — soda
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. object — to protest

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