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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of a king
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — goods
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left

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