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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: bowl · firm · pop · bore · spell · sharp · stock · hide

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — letters
  6. pop — to visit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bore — to drill

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