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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bore — to tire
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a word
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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