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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: capital · mark · rush · roll · track · stock · trunk · rule

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — hurry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rule — government
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. capital — a city
  20. roll — a list
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rush — to hurry

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