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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: spell · court · can · saw · rest · rush · march · stock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of a king
  10. rest — a break
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — shares
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — music
  23. court — of law
  24. rush — 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