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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. court — of a king
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. vault — a safe
  23. court — of law
  24. rush — hurry

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