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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bore — to drill
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rock — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bore — to tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  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