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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. current — happening now
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — shares
  21. current — electric
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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