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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 120 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: stock · club · mouse · game · bore · fall

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fall — the season
  18. club — for golf

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