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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: roll · club · dip · pop · rash · stock · mine · bore

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rash — hasty
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. club — for golf
  12. bore — to drill
  13. club — a group
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — music
  19. stock — shares
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — soda
  24. stock — goods

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