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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. court — of law
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. court — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stock — goods
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — to handle
  24. perch — the fish

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