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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stock — goods
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. patient — a sick person

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