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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — of law
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — to push
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — a strongbox

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