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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — a thing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — to protest
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — an aim
  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