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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — army training
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. drill — the tool
  20. row — a line
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lie — to recline

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