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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — after costs
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. net — for catching
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — goods
  22. pop — soda
  23. net — in sport
  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