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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: deal · bound · nail · pop · drill · stock · bear · cabinet

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pop — soda
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — certain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — a big deal

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