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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cell — in biology
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — goods
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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