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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: court · trunk · ruler · stock · fall · mate · wake · craft

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fall — the season
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — to breed
  24. court — of law

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