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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: bass · charge · shower · cell · vault · root · stock · calf

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stock — shares
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — goods
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — rain
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — in control
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — low music
  24. calf — a young animal

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