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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — shares
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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