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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: suit · bank · roll · mouse · bore · pound · cold · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cold — not warm
  17. roll — a list
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. suit — to fit

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