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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — after costs
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cap — a lid
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — for catching
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cell — a phone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stock — shares
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — in sport

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