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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: mug · key · stock · mine · leaves · file · bass · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. file — a line of people
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. file — a document
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — in music
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — a soup base

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