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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — all right
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. swing — music
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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