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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: stock · club · tube · track · bowl · rock · board · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — a group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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