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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. firm — steady
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — decided
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. court — of law
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — shares
  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