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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — shares
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — goods
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a leader

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