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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · rule · rock · track · kick · drill · stock · toast

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a path
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. land — a country
  14. rule — government
  15. drill — army training
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — a law
  21. track — a song
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — to come down

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