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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — a contest
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bore — to tire
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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