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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — of law
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — a contest

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