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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 116 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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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: bay · spring · safe · bat · stock · court · fine · lean

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — all right

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