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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bat — in an idiom

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