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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cue — a signal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cue — for pool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kid — child
  24. perch — for a bird

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