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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fine — all right
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stock — goods
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. last — finally
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fine — a penalty

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