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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · stock · wave · vault · root · rash · season · court

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. root — of a plant
  10. court — for sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — of law
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — goods
  24. court — of a king

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