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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. court — for sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — the time now
  11. toast — bread
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — to get on
  14. present — there
  15. court — of a king
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of law
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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