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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stock — goods
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tube — in a tire

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