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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — the tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stock — shares
  15. object — to protest
  16. scale — in music
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lean — thin
  22. cold — an illness
  23. object — an aim
  24. lean — to bend

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