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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 120 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: fine · drill · bay · cue · fan · stock · rush · fork

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stock — shares
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — a penalty

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