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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — shares
  3. court — of a king
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of law
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — to protest
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — goods
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the fish

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