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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: stock · court · mark · calf · bound · rash · pass · safe

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mark — a grade
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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