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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — government
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rock — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — a price
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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