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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. file — a tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — to tire
  15. face — to confront
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. file — a line of people
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pass — to spend time

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