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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — a leader
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — the time now

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