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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · tube · ball · firm · leaves · stock · march · ground

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — decided
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a dance

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