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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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Word bank
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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: tear · fine · bowl · pass · stock · vault

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fine — all right
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — to rip
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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