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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 120 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: stock · snap · sharp · mouse · bore · rash · ruler · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — to tire
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — gave birth

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