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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of a king
  8. pop — to visit
  9. court — for sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — of law
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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