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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — of law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. court — of a king
  10. game — a match
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — goods
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — for sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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