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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: trunk · stock · fine · deal · fan · mark · rush · rash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — a big deal

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