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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kid — child
  8. squash — to crush
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. court — for sport

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