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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · stock · racket · hide · tube · suit · staff · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. toast — bread
  21. stock — goods
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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