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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rush — hurry
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — to drill

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