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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rule — a law
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — low music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the sport
  23. date — the fruit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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