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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: pound · coach · bay · court · pit · current · stock · suit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. suit — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — of water
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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