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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ruler — a monarch

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