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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a cup
  14. squash — the sport
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — of the year
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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