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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — for digging
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — humankind
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stock — a soup base

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