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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a dance
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — goods
  6. spring — of water
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tube — a container
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. can — to be able to

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