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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wind — moving air
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. club — a group

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