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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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