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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — a trail
  3. row — a line
  4. file — a line of people
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — a hat
  17. file — a tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. file — a document
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a hint
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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