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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: date · stock · dip · chair · fine · suit · lean · vault

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fine — all right
  5. chair — a leader
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — a sauce

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