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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — to drill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — to rule out

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