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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: club · capital · pound · ruler · stock · ball

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a great time
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — a city
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. club — a group

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