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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — the fish
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cold — not warm
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — of a king
  23. firm — steady
  24. stock — a soup base

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