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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stock — goods
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. prune — to trim

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