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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — there
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — shares
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — the time now
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — a gift
  18. capital — money
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. capital — a big letter

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