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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. court — of law
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stock — goods
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — a series
  24. bore — gave birth

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