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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bound — certain
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spell — magic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bound — tied together
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — shares
  24. fine — high quality

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