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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 120 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: rush · stock · drill · mouse · track · nail · fine · court

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — army training
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stock — shares
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a song
  17. court — of law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — for sport
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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