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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — music
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — a gift
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. present — there

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