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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: bowl · club · court · pitcher · arm · kid · current · stock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — of law
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. current — electric
  17. court — of a king
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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