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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 116 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: stock · drill · rock · snap · nail · rush · chair · net

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — hurry
  16. net — in sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — for a hammer

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