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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. court — for sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — goods
  17. mate — to breed
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. toast — bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — a young animal

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