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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. court — of law
  6. stock — shares
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — goods
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — on the skin

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