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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · key · date · mouse · drill · fine · rock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. date — the fruit

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