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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: mouse · mine · fall · roll · cabinet · stock · staff · jam

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — goods
  5. fall — to drop
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stock — shares
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. roll — a list
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cabinet — ministers

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