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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — in football
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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