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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. court — of a king
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — for sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. branch — a division
  15. stock — goods
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — a stick

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