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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — in sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stock — shares
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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