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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rule — a law
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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