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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — a safe
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kid — child
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — in cards
  24. kid — to tease

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