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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. stock — shares
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — to rob
  4. court — of law
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. degree — from a university
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — a group
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of a king
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — to protest
  21. degree — an amount
  22. court — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  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