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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: last · drill · toast · stock · branch · race · rock · spring

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — a division
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. last — finally
  17. race — humankind
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — final
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. spring — a coil
  23. last — to go on
  24. race — a contest

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