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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: foot · fine · bound · saw · court · stock · straw · game

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — obliged
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — tied together
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — high quality
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — shares
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the tool

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