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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. march — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — in biology
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stock — shares

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