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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — to protest
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. swing — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — a thing

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