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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 120 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: race · key · march · court · bear · wake · racket · stock

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — a contest
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — humankind
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — goods
  24. racket — a loud noise

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