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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — of law
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. season — in sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — of the year
  24. wake — a trail

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