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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. net — in sport
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — to eat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — after costs
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — shares
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stock — a soup base

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