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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. court — for sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — a break
  5. charge — a price
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. pop — music
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — to move gently

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