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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
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: current · stock · mine · fine · court · mark · march · staff

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — a stick
  9. current — happening now
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — music
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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