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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 120 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: cap · vault · hide · club · stock · calf

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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