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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · stock · stick · court · cell · nail · pitch · key

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. court — of a king
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitch — completely

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