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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stock — goods
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance

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