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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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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: stock · pound · dip · vault · cell · key · season · club

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stock — goods
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — in music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — in sport
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — in biology
  16. club — a group
  17. season — of the year
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cell — a phone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — to add flavour

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