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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
468
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: straw · ball · rule · rash · stock · bank · pit · drill

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rule — a law
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — shares
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stock — goods
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. drill — army training
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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