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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — goods
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mark — a trace

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