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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — a company
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — happy
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — goods
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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