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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stock — shares
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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