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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: stand · stick · bay · tube · rash · rule · rest · stock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — a law
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rest — a break
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — a container
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — for spectators

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