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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — farmland
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — a safe
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. field — for sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. suit — clothes
  24. date — the fruit

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