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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: bore · stock · tear · capital · rash · ruler · ball · roll

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. roll — a list
  13. capital — a city
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — to rip
  16. roll — a cake
  17. capital — money
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rash — on the skin

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