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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tear — to rip

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