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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 116 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: sharp · kick · rock · stock · land · pass · mug · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — a country
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — for sport
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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