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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · stock · mouse · can · rock · capital · net · court

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. capital — a city
  8. stock — goods
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rock — music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — after costs
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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