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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — to recline
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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