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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — of law
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — a break
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. object — a thing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — of a king

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