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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: sharp · court · cell · mark · suit · saw · stock · ground

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a grade
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. court — of a king
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. ground — a position

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