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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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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: bat · sharp · court · prune · pass · suit · race · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. suit — clothes
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. court — of a king
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — to fit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — a contest
  22. court — of law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — in cards

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