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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: fan · stock · rest · coach · ball · bore · row · mouse

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. row — a line
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — to paddle

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