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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. present — there
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — shares
  18. firm — decided
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — steady

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