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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: pop · temple · saw · jam · stock · drill · net · bore

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — soda
  3. bore — to tire
  4. drill — army training
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pop — to visit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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