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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: rash · stock · land · pound · trunk · racket · ruler · roll

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — to come down
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a cake
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. roll — a list
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pound — a weight
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. racket — for tennis

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