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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: vault · chair · deal · stock · last · safe

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — final
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stock — goods
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — finally
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — to go on

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