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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stock — shares
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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