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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: drill · jam · game · ground · stock · bore · scale · toast

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — wild animals
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. jam — in traffic

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