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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 116 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 a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. spring — the season
  10. firm — steady
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — a company
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. capital — a city
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stock — goods
  22. firm — decided
  23. spring — of water
  24. perch — for a bird

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