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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — a country
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — for dancing
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — goods
  16. bore — to tire
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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