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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 · suit · wind · dip · current · pit · stock · stem

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stock — shares
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — happening now
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — in a race

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