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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: fine · game · stock · wave · bowl · court · calf · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. mine — for digging

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