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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of law
  6. chip — for betting
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. firm — a company
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — steady
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — shares
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — in sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — after costs

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