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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · pop · object · stock · bowl · tear · bear · cabinet

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — shares
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pop — soda
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pop — music
  12. object — an aim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — a thing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a ring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. tear — from crying

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