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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of a king
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — electricity
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. row — a line
  15. suit — in cards
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — of the year
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — of a plant

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