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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: suit · stock · bowl · bark · court · mouse · track · saw

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — of a king
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — of law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — of a tree

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