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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — on the skin

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