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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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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 · hand · march · club · stock · rule · bay · bound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — government
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — a group
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — goods
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hand — help
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stock — a soup base

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