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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: present · stock · spell · mouse · staff · game · tube · vault

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — there
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — a match
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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