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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. suit — clothes
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — goods
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rest — a break
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — an amount

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