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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · court · vault · stock · craft · file · face · safe

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. file — a document
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — part of the head

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