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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: bulb · fan · pop · current · drill · stock · bore · roll

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stock — goods
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — army training
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — a list

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