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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — the amount
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a round shape

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