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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: vault · mark · stock · charge · degree · cabinet · suit · snap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — a trace
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — from a university
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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