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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. court — of law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — of a king
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — decided
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. firm — a company
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — goods
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mine — for digging

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