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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — to fit
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — in sport
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. mate — a partner
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — an amount
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stock — shares
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — a soup base

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