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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: court · shower · mark · chest · vault · stock · rule · bore

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — government
  4. chest — a box
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — rain
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rule — a law
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  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