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

Word bank: court · mark · dip · wax · bay · stock

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. court — of a king
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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