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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: date · row · roll · stock · key · land · swing · mouse

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. roll — a list
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — in music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — to paddle
  15. land — ground
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. land — to come down
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — a country

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