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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — goods
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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