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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — rain
  9. deal — to handle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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