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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. bore — to tire
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — the earth
  7. object — a thing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — a position
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a face
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — a city
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — a supporter
  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