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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: ruler · stock · capital · drill · temple · band · rock · fine

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — goods
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fine — high quality
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — a stone
  21. capital — a city
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — army training

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