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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — a box
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a song

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