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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. court — of a king
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a face

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