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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stock — shares
  14. stem — to come from
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. current — happening now
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — of water

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