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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. capital — money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a city

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