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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chest — a box
  6. court — of a king
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — shares
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. court — of law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — goods
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — to crush

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