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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to drill
  13. current — electric
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — the fish
  18. current — happening now
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. face — to confront

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