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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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. club — for golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. vault — a safe
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — a line
  19. root — the cause
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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