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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stock — goods
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — after costs
  21. race — the arms race
  22. net — in sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. wave — of the sea

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