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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in biology
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. firm — decided

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