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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.

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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: last · bat · stock · wake · court · stand · prune · current

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — to go on
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. last — final
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stock — shares
  24. current — electric

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