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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — shares
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a dance
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ball — a great time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — goods
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bank — for money

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