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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — to wash
  8. foot — a measure
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chip — to eat
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. foot — part of the body

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