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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — rain
  4. drill — army training
  5. land — ground
  6. degree — from a university
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. suit — to fit
  23. degree — an amount
  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