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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · mug · rush · bowl · stock · object · kick · wind

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — goods
  5. court — for sport
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. object — an aim
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. object — to protest
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mug — a cup

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