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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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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. chest — a box
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — goods
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. can — to be able to

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