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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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