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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — in control
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — humankind
  15. bore — to drill
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — a contest
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. race — the arms race

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