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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — to be able to

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