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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: mine · stock · last · bore · ball · ruler · fork · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — shares
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — to go on
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — final
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — goods
  15. fork — in a road
  16. last — finally
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a dance

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