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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — a company
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rest — what's left
  9. firm — steady
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — decided
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. object — to protest
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — a path
  20. kid — child
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. track — to keep track

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