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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: bear · march · jam · rash · snap · stock · roll · bore

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — to drill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stock — shares
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to click
  23. march — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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