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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. toast — bread
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. object — a thing
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stand — on your feet

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