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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — goods
  19. vault — a safe
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to confront

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