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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: bowl · fine · drill · rash · stock · object · roll · leaves

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — a cake
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — an aim
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — to protest
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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