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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — finally
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cell — in biology
  20. last — to go on
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. cell — a phone
  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