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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — to visit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — soda
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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