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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: stand · rule · craft · bass · stick · wake · court · stock

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of law
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — the fish

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