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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rest — a break
  15. stock — shares
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — goods
  18. rock — to move gently

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