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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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. staff — employees
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of law
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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