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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. face — to confront

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