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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — of law
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — goods

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