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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — army training
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — a practice
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. court — for sport
  24. drill — the tool

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