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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chest — a box
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. charge — a price
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — goods
  24. charge — in control

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