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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a ring
  4. land — ground
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — goods
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cap — a hat

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