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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: row · rule · rest · stock · ground · wave · bank · track

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — government
  9. track — a song
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — a position
  12. stock — goods
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — shares
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — a line
  20. track — a path
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — a law
  24. ground — crushed

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