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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. court — of a king
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — for sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — a company
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. firm — steady
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — a partner

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