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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pop — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stock — goods

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