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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. root — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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