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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. staff — a stick
  4. last — finally
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — shares
  8. present — there
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — a safe
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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