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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.

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: bear · sharp · capital · key · court · ruler · stand · stock

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — money
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — with an edge

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