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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — a safe
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — for sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of law
  11. race — humankind
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. firm — a company
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — a contest
  24. stock — shares

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