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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: cold · date · jam · stock · scale · board · bore · pitcher

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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