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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: toast · stock · drill · rush · rash · cue · racket · bark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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