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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — a break
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — to go on
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — of a king

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