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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · clip · current · mouse · foot · court · spell · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — a measure
  5. clip — to cut
  6. current — happening now
  7. court — of law
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — magic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — of water
  16. clip — for paper
  17. court — for sport
  18. clip — a video
  19. stock — shares
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of a king
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stock — a soup base

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