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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. swing — to play on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. firm — steady
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — for sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. firm — a company
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — decided
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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