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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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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: club · press · stock · patient · pit · vault · pound · cabinet

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stock — goods
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. press — a publisher
  20. club — for dancing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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