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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — to come down
  4. mine — for digging
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — a match
  8. land — a country
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a signal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stock — shares
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — ground

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