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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. craft — boats
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. suit — in cards
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. court — of law
  19. bound — certain
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — goods
  24. toast — the most admired

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