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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — a country
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — steady
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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