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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.

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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: stock · mark · kick · court · fine · mate · scale · pass

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — of law
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — all right
  16. stock — shares
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — in music
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mate — to breed

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