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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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