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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 116 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: mouse · wound · court · pit · capital · stock · track · ball

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. court — of law
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ball — a dance
  12. court — of a king
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wound — an injury

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