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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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