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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
468
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: stock · row · court · rash · racket · wave · squash · bulb

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — shares
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. row — to paddle
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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