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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — a measure
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stock — goods

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