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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — shares
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kick — in football
  19. stock — goods
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — a safe
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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