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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — goods
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. bore — to drill
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to tire
  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