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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 120 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
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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: mug · cold · court · wax · vault · key · stock · bank

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. court — for sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — in music
  7. court — of law
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mug — a face
  10. vault — a safe
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. court — of a king
  24. mug — a cup

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