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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. rash — a series
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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