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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. sharp — clever
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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