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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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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: object · tear · wound · game · firm · court · stock · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. court — of a king
  3. firm — decided
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tear — to rip
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. game — a match
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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