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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — a video
  4. squash — to crush
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stock — goods
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rest — a break
  24. deal — a big deal

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