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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — a group
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — in football
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — to tire
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. nail — for a hammer

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