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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — a partner
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — in football
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — for baseball

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