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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: court · mug · stock · squash · rock · saw · pitcher · tube

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mug — a face
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. court — of a king
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — of law
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — a container
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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