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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 116 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: firm · drill · bark · bay · cold · stock · coach · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. firm — decided
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. cold — not warm
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cold — an illness
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. drill — army training
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — shares
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — steady

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