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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a match
  6. stock — shares
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. club — for dancing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mug — a face
  24. stock — goods

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