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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: bore · stock · vault · roll · swing · hide · track · drill

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — in golf
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stock — shares
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. drill — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — army training
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hide — animal skin

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