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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stock — shares
  24. hand — help

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