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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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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: nail · temple · stock · track · chair · court · game · club

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for dancing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — a path
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. track — a song
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — to keep track
  24. court — of a king

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