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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — a hint
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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