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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — a series
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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