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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · land · stock · band · prune · nail · wave · bowl

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. court — of a king
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — goods
  7. land — to come down
  8. court — of law
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. land — a country
  11. stock — shares
  12. band — a ring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. band — a music 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