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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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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: stock · deal · roll · bore · jam · mate · rule · can

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rule — government
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — to handle
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stock — goods
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — a law
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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