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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. kick — in football
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stock — shares
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a grade
  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