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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: tube · cell · bore · fan · stock · game · bay · pop

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cell — a phone

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