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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — clever
  20. court — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. can — a tin

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