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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: bat · stock · track · vault · firm · rule · season · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — a song
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a path
  19. season — of the year
  20. bat — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — to keep track
  24. firm — decided

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