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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. vault — a safe
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a committee
  12. court — of a king
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — of law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — 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