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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rash — a series
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. shower — rain
  11. club — for golf
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. shower — to wash
  14. dip — to sink
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. rock — a stone

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