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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: can · bound · wave · press · stock · chip · bass · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — of law
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — to push
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — for sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — tied together

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