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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — boats
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chip — for betting
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — to eat
  24. vault — a safe

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