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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: cap · leaves · ball · court · stock · lie · band · firm

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of law
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a music group
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. court — for sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. court — of a king

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