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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — of the year
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — of law
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — of water
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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