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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — music

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