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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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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: chip · ball · court · row · stock · bay · stick · chest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stock — goods
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — shares
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chest — a box

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