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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. rock — a stone
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — a face
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. root — the cause

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