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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 help me carry this box?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — of a king
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — goods
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — of law
  24. can — a tin

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