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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: mug · content · stock · court · mouse · pit · patient · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — low music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pit — a hole
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — goods
  24. content — the amount

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