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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — final
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. season — of the year
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — to go on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — shares
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — a monarch

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