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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — there
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a path
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. present — a gift
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — a song
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — shares
  20. firm — steady
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to tire
  24. suit — to fit

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