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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — a subject
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — a stone
  18. field — for sport
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a path
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — for a bird

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