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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — for sport

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