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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. track — to keep track
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — decided
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chest — a box
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. charge — a price
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — a friend

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