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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: racket · stem · stock · drill · suit · mug · arm · rush

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — goods
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. suit — clothes
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a face
  24. stock — shares

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