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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: court · stock · pop · bay · craft · rash · track · cabinet

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — boats
  4. track — a song
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — of law
  9. track — a path
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rash — hasty

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