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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — in football
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — a price
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — a line
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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