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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.

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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — of a king
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — goods
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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