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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stock — shares
  24. scale — size or range

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