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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.

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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: rule · tear · toast · rash · stock · foot · drill · fork

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — shares
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rash — a series
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tear — to rip

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