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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. court — of a king
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — of water
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — happening now
  24. tube — the underground

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