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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 116 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: rash · bank · content · racket · drill · stock · suit · field

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. suit — in cards
  6. drill — a practice
  7. field — a subject
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — the tool

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