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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — to drill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — goods
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. board — to get on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. board — a committee

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