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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a dance
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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