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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. toast — bread
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chest — a box
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. swing — music
  19. stock — shares
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. swing — to play on

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