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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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