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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. can — a tin
  19. rule — government
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — shares

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