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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fine — all right
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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