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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · vault · mine · stock · rush · firm · plane · row

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — a tool
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mine — for digging
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. firm — steady
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — shares
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. row — a line
  24. firm — a company

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