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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: firm · stock · staff · can · fall · drill · chest · court

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. court — for sport
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. chest — a box
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — army training
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — of a king
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — a practice

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