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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.

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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: spring · court · mine · stock · mark · cue · can · nail

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. can — a tin
  7. stock — goods
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — of water
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — a signal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — for pool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. court — for sport
  24. stock — shares

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