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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stock — shares
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. court — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — goods
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fine — all right
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of a king
  24. craft — boats

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