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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: chair · bear · stock · mark · file · vault · current · drill

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. current — of water
  9. chair — a leader
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. drill — army training
  19. stock — goods
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. current — electric

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