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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: key · stick · stock · season · court · rest · wound · chip

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of a king
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — a break

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