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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — of water
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — a gift
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — a country
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spring — the season

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