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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — shares
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lean — thin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — goods
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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