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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: mine · stock · rest · kick · court · bound · pit · firm

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kick — in football
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rest — a break
  16. firm — steady
  17. court — of a king
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bound — tied together

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