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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — from a university
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. game — a match
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — to roll

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