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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 · stand · tear · swing · stock · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — army training

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