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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: stock · cue · ground · roll · bear · chair · drill · bore

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — to drill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ground — a position
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bore — to tire
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a hint

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