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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 116 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: rock · court · stock · prune · club · tear · hand · ruler

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — shares
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. club — for golf
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of a king
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hand — help
  22. club — a group
  23. court — for sport
  24. hand — in cards

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