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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — a gift
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — boats
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — in sport

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