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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. root — the cause
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — of a word
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stock — shares
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — gave birth

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