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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: kid · race · court · suit · stock · present · sharp · mark

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — the time now
  4. court — of law
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — there
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a grade
  15. race — humankind
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kid — child
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. court — of a king
  22. kid — to tease
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — a contest

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