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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: cabinet · stock · present · jam · stick · snap · roll · vault

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. roll — a list
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — a gift
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. vault — a safe
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — there
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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