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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: current · mouse · bowl · court · stock · ground · pound · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — of law
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. court — for sport
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — goods

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