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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
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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: court · roll · race · bore · toast · stock · racket · bulb

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — a list
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — bread
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. stock — goods
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. toast — the most admired

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