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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: pound · straw · stock · rest · bore · dip · game · cap

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stock — shares
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — goods
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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