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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a dance
  7. court — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — of a king
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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