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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spring — of water
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — money
  8. stock — shares
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spring — a coil
  11. capital — a city
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — a face
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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