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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — ground
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — goods
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rash — a series
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — hasty
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — on the skin

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