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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · bowl · lash · pass · court · game · wax · straw

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a match
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. court — for sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. court — of a king
  24. stock — goods

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