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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: stock · key · ball · hand · coach · rash · rule · leaves

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hand — help
  18. rule — government
  19. stock — shares
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — on the skin

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