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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. court — of a king
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stock — goods
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — a thing
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. mate — a partner
  19. shower — rain
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — shares

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