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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: squash · ball · bear · mate · drill · roll · dip · stock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — shares
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — army training
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — goods
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a great time
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — the sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. squash — the vegetable

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