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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. race — humankind
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — a weight

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