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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — an aim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — wild animals
  10. row — to paddle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — shares
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — to protest
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. arm — a part of something

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