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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — gave birth

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