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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — after costs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. court — of law

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