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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — to roll

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