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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 · snap · craft · drill · pitcher · stock · rule · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — for sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of law
  20. rule — a law
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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