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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: mark · roll · bore · stock · mouse · ball · game · pop

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a trace
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — music
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. stock — goods
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — on a roll

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