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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bore — to drill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. club — for dancing

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