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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. club — for golf
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stock — goods
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. degree — an amount

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