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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 124 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. court — of law
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — for sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — to play on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — high quality

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