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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — a gift
  3. bore — to tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — hasty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bore — to drill

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