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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — shares
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — a break
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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