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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — for sport

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