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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — decided
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stock — goods
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a great time
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — steady

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