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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — for sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cue — for pool
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — letters
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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