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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 116 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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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: stick · chair · race · kick · stock · ground · fine · vault

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — a position
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ground — crushed
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — a contest
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — high quality

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