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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. vault — a safe
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. key — the most important part
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — in music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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