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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: drill · current · ruler · kid · bass · rest · stock · deal

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — to tease
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — electric
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. drill — the tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — goods
  22. current — of water
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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