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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — shares
  3. date — the fruit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — of water
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. vault — a safe
  13. craft — boats
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. current — electric

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