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

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — letters
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — the sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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