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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: roll · drill · fan · scale · object · stock · snap · trunk

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — a thing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — an aim
  24. snap — to click

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