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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: pop · cue · stock · roll · drill · rule · bowl · last

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — a law
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rule — government
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. last — final
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. drill — army training
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — soda

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