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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — a price
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — electricity
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — in control
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ball — a round shape

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