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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — a coil
  3. land — to come down
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — goods
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. foot — a measure
  19. land — a country
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — of water

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