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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 120 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 · rock · court · calf · suit · rest · squash · stock

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. court — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — to crush
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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