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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to tire
  4. firm — steady
  5. stock — goods
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. court — of a king
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — for sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — to drill
  23. court — of law
  24. firm — decided

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