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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — goods
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. scale — in music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mug — a face
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. race — the arms race

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