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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: hand · court · stock · foot · ruler · wound · pitch · bass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. court — of a king
  13. hand — help
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — shares
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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