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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ball — a dance
  3. land — ground
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — a list
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — for pool
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — shares

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