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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 120 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: ruler · court · craft · lash · club · land · can · stock

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — for dancing
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. land — to come down
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — boats

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