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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — shares
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — a group
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to confront

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