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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. 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. stock — a soup base
  2. bore — to drill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stock — goods
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. snap — to click
  19. rule — government
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — shares
  24. 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