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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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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: mark · sharp · cabinet · rash · court · vault · cold · stock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rash — a series
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — for sport
  18. cold — not warm
  19. court — of a king
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cold — an illness
  22. court — of law
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. sharp — clever

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