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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of law
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rule — government
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rest — what's left

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