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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 · rush · field · bear · rash · bowl · stock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — hasty
  7. roll — a cake
  8. field — farmland
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. field — a subject

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