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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: chest · mouse · wave · leaves · stock · court · ball · cell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chest — a box
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cell — in biology
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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