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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: pound · stock · chip · rash · court · ball · bulb · bear

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — goods
  5. court — of a king
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pound — a weight

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