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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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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: craft · jam · stock · pitcher · court · cue · swing · club

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. court — of a king
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — boats
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for golf
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cue — a signal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. club — for dancing

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