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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stock — goods
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — a trace
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. file — a tool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pass — to succeed

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