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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 116 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: game · rock · stock · content · pass · ground · drill · current

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — happy
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rock — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. current — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — the earth
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — happening now

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