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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — goods
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stock — shares
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. face — to confront
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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