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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: cap · bay · land · stock · rule · leaves · drill · racket

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — army training
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rule — government
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — to come down
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stock — shares
  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