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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: jam · drill · stock · rest · wake · land · cabinet · mate

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mate — a friend
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — to come down
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — a country

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