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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 120 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 · rush · net · hand · fork · court · rock · ruler

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — for catching
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. hand — help
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — a soup base

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