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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: stock · fine · wave · vault · pitcher · mate · racket · roll

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fine — all right
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — a list
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — a safe

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