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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: drill · pound · mine · ruler · stock · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — a practice

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