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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — a container
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tube — the underground
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — a cup

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