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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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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — to tire

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