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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stock — shares
  7. present — the time now
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — wild animals
  14. snap — to click
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — of law
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — goods
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. band — a ring

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