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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — for paper
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lie — an untruth

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