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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — a series
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — hasty

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