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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — in sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stock — goods
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — to fit

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