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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — a price
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — in control
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. swing — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — a short time
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — magic
  24. saw — the tool

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