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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — a company
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bound — certain
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — shares
  21. bound — tied together
  22. row — a line
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — steady

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