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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — shares
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. row — a line
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a dance
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

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