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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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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: rock · fork · bowl · ruler · rule · bank · stock · calf

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rule — a law
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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