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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — shares
  3. cell — in biology
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — goods
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — crushed
  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