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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — a gift
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — government
  9. vault — a safe
  10. present — there
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hand — help
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — the most important part
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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