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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: craft · bowl · stock · rash · key · fine · court · ruler

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a skill
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — for sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — boats
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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