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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bore — to drill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. court — of a king
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. court — of law
  21. season — in sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — in geometry

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