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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · stock · can · cell · race · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — humankind
  9. cell — a phone
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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