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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fork — in a road
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mate — a friend
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. clip — a video
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a dance

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