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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spell — letters
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lean — to bend
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — a price
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — in control
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — shares
  24. lean — to rest against

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