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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: board · court · roll · stock · spring · safe · pop · present

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. court — of a king
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — to visit
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spring — a coil
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. present — there
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — of law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — a gift

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