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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — rain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — for sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. shower — to wash

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