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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rule — government
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — a law
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — in football

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