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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — shares
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bass — low music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — ground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — to come down

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