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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stock — shares
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — after costs
  10. fall — the season
  11. stock — goods
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cell — a phone
  24. net — for catching

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