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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cell — a phone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — a grade
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — a list
  14. cell — in biology
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. foot — a measure
  18. scale — in music
  19. stock — goods
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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