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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: saw · chest · stock · stick · roll · drill · mark · mate

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — to breed
  3. roll — a list
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — army training
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — shares
  24. chest — a box

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