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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — goods
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of a king
  23. pit — a hole
  24. perch — the fish

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