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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — a group
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — goods
  8. file — a tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. roll — a list
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a document
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stock — a soup base

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