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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a dance
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. board — a committee
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — a coil
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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