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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: last · court · rash · rest · fall · stock · game · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — of a king
  8. fall — the season
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. game — a match
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — a series
  15. stock — goods
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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