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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: land · stock · squash · vault · object · temple · mate · pop

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — to protest
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — ground
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — to come down
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — soda

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