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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of law
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ground — crushed
  17. shower — rain
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stock — goods

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