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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — goods
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pop — music
  24. key — for a lock

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