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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of a king
  5. firm — decided
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — a position
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stock — shares
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — a song

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