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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · vault · net · mouse · stem · hide · club · court

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. 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. net — after costs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of a king
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — for golf
  11. stock — shares
  12. net — for catching
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — a group
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stock — goods
  24. 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