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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: object · ground · mine · mouse · plane · stock · court · vault

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of a king
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of law
  21. object — an aim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — the earth

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