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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stock — goods
  5. roll — a list
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — shares
  18. drill — army training
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. roll — a cake
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — on a roll

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