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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stock — shares
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — to grow
  24. club — a group

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