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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.

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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: firm · game · shower · kid · rush · cabinet · vault · stock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rush — hurry
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — a safe
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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