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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — the amount
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — shares
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — goods
  13. drill — a practice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — happy
  21. tear — from crying
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — of water
  24. bore — to tire

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