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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to bend
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — a soup base

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