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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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. roll — a cake
  4. cap — a lid
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — a gift
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. roll — a list
  21. cap — of ice
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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