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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: track · wax · coach · stem · ruler · stock · club · court

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. club — for golf
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a path
  19. court — of law
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of a king
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. track — to keep track

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