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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: stock · toast · fan · mate · leaves · nail · court · cue

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. toast — bread
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — for pool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — for sport

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