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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — shares
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. face — to point toward
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — a thing
  24. cue — a signal

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