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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — wild animals
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — boats
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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