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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: court · current · pop · bound · stand · nail · kid · stock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pop — music
  3. current — electric
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pop — soda
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — certain
  13. court — of a king
  14. stock — shares
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — child
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stock — goods
  24. current — happening now

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