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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of law
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stock — shares

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