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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bore — to drill
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. club — a group
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — a thing
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bore — gave birth

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