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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: rash · stand · stock · wind · staff · drill · ball · stem

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — to come from
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — a stem cell

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