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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: hand · stock · mouse · stand · bulb · snap · mark · court

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — for sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — of law
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stock — shares
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — help
  24. bulb — for light

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