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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — the amount
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chair — to sit on

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