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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stock — goods
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — to protest
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — letters

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