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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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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: perch · coach · land · game · current · vault · key · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. current — electric
  3. vault — a safe
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. key — the most important part
  13. current — happening now
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — ground
  18. game — a match
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. perch — the fish
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. stock — shares

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