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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — of water
  15. march — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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