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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — to visit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — a container

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