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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — of a king
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — a series
  6. court — of law
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. face — to confront
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — a stone
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. court — for sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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