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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — goods
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. current — happening now
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. object — a thing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — electric
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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