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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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