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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. vault — a safe
  13. present — there
  14. bat — the animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — in sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — of the year
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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