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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.

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 · fine · bowl · bore · track · ruler · spell · pop

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pop — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — magic
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — a song

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