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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — to rob

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