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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · craft · squash · present · ruler · tube · content · bore

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — there
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — the underground
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — the time now

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