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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — shares
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mine — for digging

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