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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: stock · rule · roll · band · track · scale · mark · bore

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bore — to drill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — shares
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a song
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — in music
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mark — a grade

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