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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — a company
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mate — to breed
  22. content — the amount
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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