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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: stock · wind · firm · hide · vault · pitcher · pit · drill

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — army training
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — the tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — a practice
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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