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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 · bore · stock · tube · pop · club · fine · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — shares
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — a container
  11. bore — to tire
  12. club — a group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — in a tire

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