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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — for catching
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lean — thin
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. board — a flat piece

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