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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 play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a great time

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