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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — the fish

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