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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — of law
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — shares
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — in a tire

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