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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. band — a music group
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. kid — child
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — to breed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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