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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — shares
  3. march — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bore — to tire
  10. root — of a word
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — to drill
  24. march — the month

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