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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 120 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: bore · stock · dip · racket · court · firm · sharp · stand

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stock — goods
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — of law
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — shares
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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