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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — to protest
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — a thing
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — for sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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