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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: stock · spell · bore · mug · vault · bear · can · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — magic
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bore — to tire
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mug — a face
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — goods
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — a tin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spell — a short time

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