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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: tear · game · branch · bound · racket · face · stock · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bound — obliged
  22. game — a match
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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