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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — of law
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. court — of a king
  18. mark — to pay attention

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