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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 124 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — shares
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — happening now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — electric
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. roll — a list
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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