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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. rock — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. object — an aim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. object — to protest
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stock — goods
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pop — music

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