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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. present — there
  4. stock — shares
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — a group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. club — for golf
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — the time now
  24. club — for dancing

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