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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stock — shares
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — to tire
  13. present — a gift
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — to come down
  17. kid — to tease
  18. last — to go on
  19. land — a country
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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