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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: racket · staff · ruler · last · pound · stock · pass · shower

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. last — final
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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