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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cell · saw · jam · rest · row · bore · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stock — shares
  10. cell — in biology
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rest — what's left

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