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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. game — a match
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — there
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — the time now
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. present — a gift
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hand — help
  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