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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · rock · game · drill · spring · stock · band · jam

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — army training
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a ring
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stock — shares
  13. band — a music group
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — of water
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rash — a series

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