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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · file · stock · toast · bore · rest · mouse · band

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a music group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to drill
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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