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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. season — of the year
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a partner
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — goods

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