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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fine — all right
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — of water
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cue — a signal
  11. current — electric
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stock — goods

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