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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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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: fan · ground · bank · rash · club · toast · ruler · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ground — a position
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — bread
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — of a river

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