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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. land — a country
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to confront
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stock — goods
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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