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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — thin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cue — a hint
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — in music

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